Understanding Practice Intentions and Barriers Following Pediatric Mental Health ECHO Participation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Mental Health
• Primary Care Practice

Background:

• National mental health professional shortages shift pediatric care to primary care providers (PCPs).
• PCPs often feel underprepared to manage youth mental and behavioral health conditions.
• Kansas faces significant mental health professional shortages, increasing reliance on PCPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Project ECHO continuing medical education (CME) in strengthening PCPs' ability to manage pediatric mental health.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to applying new mental health management strategies in primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional analysis of 512 CME surveys administered immediately after Project ECHO sessions (April 2020-October 2024).
• Descriptive statistics summarized PCP responses across eight pediatric mental health topics.
• Survey data analyzed to assess perceived learning, confidence, and barriers to applying new strategies.

Main Results:

• 50-71% of PCPs strongly agreed they learned information to improve patient outcomes across various mental health topics.
• 45-70% reported no barriers to applying new strategies; lack of knowledge was the most common barrier when identified.
• Respondents indicated gaining information shareable with colleagues, suggesting team-level impact.

Conclusions:

• Project ECHO programs like KSKidsMAP ECHO are valuable for improving provider confidence and practice uptake in pediatric mental health.
• Knowledge gaps remain a primary barrier to implementing effective pediatric mental health care in primary settings.
• Continued medical education is crucial for equipping PCPs to manage the growing demand for youth mental health services.